St. Catharines Mayor and MP meet with Canada’s Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to discuss importance of Port Dalhousie piers

Niagara, Ontario – St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik and St. Catharines Riding MP Chris Bittle brought the importance of the Port Dalhousie piers to Ottawa this past June 2nd.

A look at a stretch of the pier below a line of trees from the east side of Port Dalhousie Harbour, now under water and fenced off due to record high water levels in Lake Ontario. Photo taken this June by Doug Draper

The Mayor and MP met with Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, to discuss the importance of repairing the federally-owned Port Dalhousie piers.

“Thank you to Minister LeBlanc for meeting about the Port Dalhousie piers,” stated Mayor Sendzik. “We made it clear how important the piers are to the city, our council, and the entire community. Like everyone else, I’m very disappointed that the piers will remain closed for another summer, but I’m confident in the Minister’s commitment to finding a solution and will continue to work with MP Bittle to ensure this happens. After the water levels go down, it’s time to get the piers fixed.”

“Over the past year, I have had several opportunities to sit down and speak with Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, and highlight the importance of the Port Dalhousie piers,” said MP Bittle.

“The Minister recognizes the rehabilitation of the piers is a key priority for our community. I was pleased the Minister reiterated this directly to Mayor Sendzik and me in our meeting yesterday. The government is eager to continue working with the City of St. Catharines and the community on this project. The mayor and I will continue to work with the Minister and his department to ensure that piers are rehabilitated to their previous state so they can continue to be enjoyed for years to come.”

The Port Dalhousie piers have been closed since March 2015 due to structural and safety concerns. Additional sections of the piers were closed in May 2017 due to high water levels.

The Port Dalhousie piers are owned by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and leased by the City of St. Catharines. The piers were closed in April 2015 following a report by the DFO which recommended closing the piers based on damage to their substructure.

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